A fundraising appeal has been launched by Kent Wildlife Trust in a bid to save an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty from falling into private hands.

It follows the marketing of 64 acres of Covert Wood in the Elham Valley near Canterbury, which has recently been put up for sale for £475,000.

But head of land management at the trust, Simon Bateman-Brown, fears it could be later sold off as smaller individual sections, to the detriment of nature.

The charity has now launched a bid to raise enough funds to enable it to buy and protect the woodland.

Already, more than £102,000 has been donated to the appeal, but a further £360,000 is still being sought.

Agents John Clegg and Co, who are advertising the site, say it is "extremely rare" for woodland like Covert Wood to come up for sale.

They say it offers a flattened parking area that could provide potential buyers with “development possibilities” - although the woodland itself can never be built on.

"It offers great opportunity to the amenity market for purchasers who want a 'lifestyle choice' woodland'," they add.

But Mr Bateman-Brown warns the ancient woodland could be sold off in smaller plots.

"If this happens, it would be impossible to manage for the benefit of nature," he says.

"Under the management of the trust, we can protect it indefinitely, running it as a nature reserve for wildlife.

"It is perfectly situated to help us connect the landscape for nature, something that our wildlife depleted country desperately needs.

"If the appeal is successful, we will examine the feasibility of using the area for species re-introductions, in particular the pine marten."

This year, the trust is conducting social and ecological feasibility studies to determine whether the habitat in the south east is suitable for pine martens.

"Covert Wood sits within a wider forest complex, a short distance from Blean Woods, making it a suitable site to explore the return of the pine marten," say trust experts.

"Together we can create bigger, better and more connected landscapes which allow nature to flourish in every corner of our county."